Redox flow battery

Abstract

A redox flow battery (1) including: a battery cell (10) including a positive electrode (11), a negative electrode (12), and an ion exchange membrane (13); a positive electrode-side electrolyte tank (20); a negative electrode-side electrolyte tank (30); a positive electrode-side pipe connecting the battery cell (10) to the positive electrode-side electrolyte tank (20); and a negative electrode-side pipe connecting the battery cell (10) to the negative electrode-side electrolyte tank (30). The redox flow battery (1) performs charge and discharge by circulating respective electrolytes between the battery cell (10) and the positive electrode-side electrolyte tank (20) through the positive electrode-side pipe (21, 22) and between the battery cell (10) and the negative electrode-side electrolyte tank (30) through the negative electrode-side pipe (31, 32). A hydrogen oxidation catalyst (40) is provided adjacent to an inner surface of the negative electrode-side pipe (31, 32).

1 . A redox flow battery comprising:
 a battery cell including a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and an ion exchange membrane separating the positive electrode from the negative electrode;   a positive electrode-side electrolyte tank provided in correspondence with the positive electrode and containing an electrolyte which includes a positive electrode active material;   a negative electrode-side electrolyte tank provided in correspondence with the negative electrode and containing an electrolyte which includes a negative electrode active material;   a positive electrode-side pipe connecting the battery cell to the positive electrode-side electrolyte tank; and   a negative electrode-side pipe connecting the battery cell to the negative electrode-side electrolyte tank, wherein   the redox flow battery performs charge and discharge by being configured to circulate the electrolytes respectively between the battery cell and the positive electrode-side electrolyte tank through the positive electrode-side pipe connecting the battery cell to the positive electrode-side electrolyte tank and between the battery cell and the negative electrode-side electrolyte tank through the negative electrode-side pipe connecting the battery cell to the negative electrode-side electrolyte tank, and   a hydrogen oxidation catalyst is provided adjacent to an inner surface of at least a portion of the negative electrode-side pipe.   
     
     
         2 . The redox flow battery according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the negative electrode-side pipe includes:   a negative electrode-side forward pipe as a supply path through which the electrolyte is supplied from the negative electrode-side electrolyte tank to the battery cell; and   a negative electrode-side return pipe as a discharge path through which the electrolyte is discharged from the battery cell to the negative electrode-side electrolyte tank, and   the hydrogen oxidation catalyst is provided adjacent to an inner surface of at least a portion of the negative electrode-side return pipe.   
     
     
         3 . The redox flow battery according to  claim 2 , wherein
 the battery cell includes a positive electrode-side cell on a side of the positive electrode and a negative electrode-side cell on a side of the negative electrode, the positive electrode-side cell and the negative electrode-side cell being partitioned from each other by the ion exchange membrane,   the negative electrode-side return pipe connects the negative electrode-side cell to the negative electrode-side electrolyte tank, and   the negative electrode-side cell has a discharge port through which the electrolyte is discharged, and which is located on a top of the negative electrode-side cell.   
     
     
         4 . The redox flow battery according to  claim 2 , wherein
 the hydrogen oxidation catalyst is provided at a location in the negative electrode-side return pipe, the location being adjacent to the battery cell.   
     
     
         5 . The redox flow battery according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the hydrogen oxidation catalyst is provided on an inner surface of the negative electrode-side pipe.   
     
     
         6 . The redox flow battery according to  claim 1 ,
 the redox flow battery being a vanadium-based redox flow battery.